Patriots rally back to beat Jets 29-26 in overtime

Posted by Josh Alper on October 21, 2012, 8:10 PM EDT

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The Patriots were the biggest favorite of Week Seven and it looked like they might also go down as the biggest upset victim.

After a listless offensive effort throughout the game and a defensive performance that allowed the Jets to score 13 straight fourth quarter points to grab a 26-23 lead, Tom Brady was able to rally his team in the final 97 seconds to send the game to a fifth quarter. He then hit Deion Branch and Wes Welker for decent gains and got a pass interference call against Kyle Wilson to set up Stephen Gostkowski for a 48-yard field goal to end the first possession of overtime.

That left the Jets with a chance to tie or win the game, but that chance disappeared when Patriots defensive end Rob Ninkovich sacked Mark Sanchez and recovered a fumble to grab a win that gives the Patriots sole possession of first place in the AFC East. To stay there, they will need to come up with a much better effort in future weeks.

The Jets outgained them 403-381 and threw for 47 more yards despite having an offense that’s been used as a punchline by many around the league. There were moments when the Jets showed why they’ve earned that status, namely a Sanchez pick and a terrible fourth quarter drop by a wide open Stephen Hill that could have kept a drive alive long enough for the Jets to score a touchdown, but the second half gave no hints about the Jets’ perceived second-tier status. The result is a painful one for the Jets as a result because it’s hard to praise their effort while ignoring the mistakes that let a winnable game get away.

We will wait to see if the loss of Shonn Greene is part of the pain. The running back left the game in the fourth to be evaluated for a head injury, but returned briefly in overtime before giving way to Joe McKnight.

New England can breathe a sigh of relief, but, once again, they’re left to answer questions about why they aren’t able to put away seemingly inferior opponents this season. There’s plenty of time for the Patriots to hit their stride, but there’s also a chance that the gap between them and some of their opponents isn’t as wide as we might have believed coming into the season.

I know I will get lots of thumbs down but I don’t think the Patriots are as good as people think. Their secondary is terrible. The Houston Texans are definitely a more well rounded team.

Plus Tom Brady is still great but he definitely looks less mobile than ever and the velocity on his deep throws is not what it once was. Saw Aaron Rodgers in the early game and the velocity on his throws compared to Brady is like Randy Johnson to Jamie Moyer. Just telling the truth.

I’ll admit I was wrong about the Jets though, that defense is still pretty good and Ryan despite the crap he gets is a good coach.

I think the Pats will get better as the season goes on, they really need that bye week Both Hernandez and Gronk are clearly less than 100%, both starting guards didn’t play, and both starting safeties didn’t play.

If the Patriots can get past the Rams in London and get to 5-3 going into the bye week they will set themselves up for a big second half of the season run.

Pats were lucky to win. Not as good as advertised. And I’m a fan. I’m still hoping for better results, but my expectations have become more realistic after watching them for seven weeks now. Hope we can improve, but there is LOTS to do! C’mon, guys!

As a Patriots fan, it is great to get a win but the coaching really is a concern.

Brady stepped up as did Gostkowski to put it in overtime and score in OT. The defense came to play in OT but Belichick keeps playing vanilla defenses and letting marginal QBs march down the field late in games. Sometimes you need to turn the studs loose to both make a play and give the players and fans a charge.

I am expecting quite a few thumbs down here, but why is it that when an all-star quarterback like Brady, or Manning (both) come out and don’t play we’ll, they don’t get as pestered as much as Joe Flacco. I just have notice that over the last few weeks.

Wow. Im a patriots fan..but oh my goodness I was nervous. Ive got to hand it to Sanchez, he played a darn good game. minus the fumble he played pretty darn good, he is much better than Tebow and Tebow should switch to fullback or be a backup QB. Jeremy Kerley is better than Santonio Holmes and less of a Diva. Tom played pretty well, few big drops by Lloyd who was invisible today. Defense just got gashed against Sanchez, but we had both our safeties out.. the Jets should have won this game. That first drive the Jets drove down the field and had 3rd and 1 from the 3, pounding the ball down New Englands throat..and Sporano goes spread and throws it. Sporano is a horrendous play caller.. and Tebow shouldt get half the press he gets. and Im a Tebow and a NE fan

Matt Patricia better brush up the ol’ resume. Making Sanchez look halfway decent certainly won’t help that criticism of his defense — most of these guys he’s been with for six years now. Is he the AFC version of Juan Castillo (offense to defense now)?

Not a fan of either team. I’m not sure why the Pats were such huge favorites. It’s not like they’ve been dominating everyone all year. The Jets always come to play against the Pats and most times it’s a close game. If Rex could coach em up every week like he does for the Pats games, the Jets could be serious contenders. But he can’t, so they’re not.

good game pats. i like the jets chances going forward. though i’m not satisfied with the ‘moral victory’ thing, at least they came to play. those who blame the loss on sanchez will embarass yourselves. team loss. he did some good and bad things like the rest of them.
anyway, good game. nuff said.

Brandon Lloyd was atrocious today, dropping all three balls Brady delivered to him. Other than that, I would not call it an uninspired effort by the Offense. Also, this NY writer should give some credit to the Jets because their execution was pretty darn good today. Both teams are dealing with injuries but still improving. Jarod Mayo made 10 tackles today and his left arm was clearly hanging most of the 4th quarter. Tough game and an exciting one. Glad my guys prevailed in a game up for grabs.

Sorry, husky, Brady pulled a sure loss out of the fire. To say he did not play well is a stretch. He played conservative, got his team a lead despite a very sub-par game by Lloyd, and went out and won after a demoralizing special teams fumble.

travishenryskid says:
Oct 21, 2012 8:36 PM
The sack that ended the game was illegal. You can’t go after the Qbs legs when you’re on the ground. Not a fan of either team, but if that was Brady instead of Sanchez, there would have been a flag.

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Wrong, there is no rule that says ” you can’t go after the QB’s legs when he is on the ground”.

You can’t dive at the legs , but if you are already on the ground you CAN grab at his feet or ankles. Witch is what JC did.

travishenryskid says:
Oct 21, 2012 8:36 PM
The sack that ended the game was illegal. You can’t go after the Qbs legs when you’re on the ground. Not a fan of either team, but if that was Brady instead of Sanchez, there would have been a flag.

You can’t dive at them below the knees. You can certainly tackle them though.

Ok sd1024, but Flacco has been in the NFL for 5 years. Brady and all have been in it for awhile now. Look at Tony Romo. (Supposedly) an elite quarterback who has yet to win a Super Bowl, and has major NFL experience. When he has a bad day, the media does now pester him as much as Flacco. See my point here.

Pats simply don’t look right. This looks like a coaching issue. Welker was not part of the early game plan….a gimpy Hernandez and Vreen? Will Brady be one of those athletes who lose it overnight? His deep throws today were markedly off. Very poor calls against both teams. Don’t know where this Jet team has been all year (San Francisco!) and likewise I can’t get a feel where this NE team is heading. Is it just me or is there an emerging sense that NE is at a crossroads?

The Pats were lucky. Am I the only one who is questioning not only the play calling but the entire defensive coaching staff. They are horrendous and made Sanchez look like Rodgers. Brady looks totally out of it at times. His long passes are atrocious. McDaniel’s offesne and play calling doesn’t compare favorably to O’Brien. BB just watches, time for him to make some changes….for one tell the DB’s not to hold on every play. They are not a superbowl team, period! An just for the record I am a die hard Pats fan.

My team is in the NFC, so I don’t care about the outcome of today’s game, but why is it that if another coach throws a challenge flag on a play that is already up for review ( turnover, TD) they get penalized 15 yards and the review is canceled even if the guy throwing the flag is right, but when Belichick did it today, they just said ” No problem Bill, we’ll review it , find that Gronk didn’t fumble it, and you can even have your challenge back!”

Good win after that demoralizing fumble by McCourty. Brady is still clutch he just doesn’t get a chance to show it as much now because they r usually in the lead or the other team has the ball last. The Pats secondary is a joke per usual. Made Sanchez look like Namath. Good game Jets, I hate u but u showed heart and probably feel as I did last wee afterk letting a game slip away. See u on Thankgiving

Does this New England (cheaters) win make the Jets in second place?
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Answer is yes. Also, you are an idiot for the cheaters comment and it’s “does this New England win MEAN the jets ARE in second place?”

Patriots back to their old style of play, ugly. But a win is a win, anyways people keep letting the media get into their head.

The Jets ARE a good team. Despite what happened last year, the Jets did go to two AFC Championships consecutively. Also they should of dropped the hammer on Santonio Holmes as he threw everybody under the bus at the end of last season, LT even hinted that as part of the reason why he retired yet said great things about Rex.

I’m a big enough person to admit when I’m wrong: really thought the Jets wouldn’t be able to compete against the Pat’s with Revis and Holmes out. I also thought that even the Pat’s horrible defense could make Sanchez misrable all day long. I was wrong. But I seriously doubt Tebow pretending to be Brady in practice was helpful in any way, shape, or form!
The Patriots offense just isn’t as potent as in previous years. Not sure if its playcalling or if Brady’s slowing down some…or a combination of the two. The Pat’s defense is horrible (nothing new there)…they allowed Sanchez to look like a real NFL quarterback.

That was hilarious. Nance said that if the call on the field stands, this will be a huge upset. When the call was upheld, he said the New York Jets stand alone in 1st place in the AFC East. He sounded thoroughly confused when he saw the Pats celebrating on the field.

How are guys open down the field so consistently against the Pats?? How? Every time the ball is in the air, I fully expect that when it comes down there will be a wide-open player from the other team there ready to receive it… or if he’s not wide open, he’s getting steamrolled by Chung, Arrington, or McCourty as they run through him without looking back for the ball.

I gotta holla @ RR…he lost his best defensive player and his team gave the best team in the AFC a very tough game. No not my Pats, who are an average type team right now, but the Texans. I knew then that if the Pats won this Sunday, it would be an extra tough game since Houston’s defense is orders of magnitude better than the Pats’ D and their offense executes much better than the Pats’ has this season. RR usually has his guys on D very well prepared against the Pats. They really fought their hearts out. It’s just this time, the Pats finally made a few more plays than the other team. This year, they’ve usually been on the other end of that. Also, the Pats D even when good has always been tortured by some Jets WR or another. Cotchery, Keller, and now Kerley.

I don’t think the Patriots are as good as people think. Their secondary is terrible. The Houston Texans are definitely a more well rounded team.

Plus Tom Brady is still great but he definitely looks less mobile than ever and the velocity on his deep throws is not what it once was. Saw Aaron Rodgers in the early game and the velocity on his throws compared to Brady is like Randy Johnson to Jamie Moyer. Just telling the truth.

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I’m a pretty open-minded Pats fan. I definitely see the points you’re making. We have such promising pieces in place, but they can’t seem to put it together like the Texans have. If they were the opponent this Sunday, I’d see no reason to think we’d come out on the winning end if we continue to play this way.

BUT, the Brady longball thing is off, in my opinion. Brady in 2007 didn’t have as good a deep ball as Aaron Rodgers. He was also never mobile outside the pocket. Inside the pocket, he’s still a f’n magician, in my opinion. Lloyd dropped a couple beautiful deep passes today. Bradyesque deep passes — not Rodgersesqe.

Did the Patriots blow a 10 point lead – yes. Did they almost lose due to McCourty’s fumble on the kickoff return – yes.

Then something happened that should be viewed as very positive. TB took charge and made some tremendous throws to tie the game and win it in OT. They could have won it in the 4th quarter if Lloyd makes a play on a great throw by Brady. Same could be said for Branch in OT. This was a big divisional win for the Patriots. They will build off this win and beat the Rams to go 5-3 into the bye week.

I find it funny that people are lauding the Giants for almost blowing the game against Bob and the Redskins. Who played better in that game, Eli or Bob? What matters most is the scoreboard. It wasn’t pretty nor dominating but it was a victory for the Patriots and as a fan I’m happy about the end result; especially after what happened against the Ravens, Cardinals, and Seahawks.

I am a life time Patriots fan and all I have to say after watching this game is:

STICK A FORK IN THEM, THEY ARE DONE!

How can they let a team like the Yets come back with just minutes left in the game, then let them go ahead, get lucky to put it into OT then have to rely on a defense that is at best mediocre to win the game?

This team is not going anywhere if they continue to play like this.

Give kudo’s to the Jets for fighting hard. The officals were generous to them on a few occasions, but even after them, the Patriots still had the chance to stop them, but didn’t.

And Tom Brady is done. He obviously has some kind of fear in him that he has never had before. Not staying in the pocket and taking a hit to complete the pass use to be his calling card. Now he is afaid of being hit, runs away whenever a defender comes near him then throws the ball away in a panic. The boy is done. I believe he is thinking more of his modeling career than his football career.

They should not loose another game between now and December 1oth when they have a tough match up. If they do loose another between now and then and somehow make the play offs, they will not deserve it. If they do as they should and not loose any in that timeframe, win at least half in a blow out, then I have some hope, otherwise, forget it… stick that fork in them.

Yeah it was a gutsy win for the Patriots, but I came away as really disappointed as a Pats fan…The defense looks worse than last year and at this point I think the schemes and lack of blitzing is what’s really hurting the defense moreso than the terrible coverage…More pressure on the QB leads to bad throws and less time to exploit the secondary and the Patriots seemed perfectly content with rushing 4 every play and not ever really putting Sanchez under pressure until the final snap, allowing him to shred the defense

Offensively, I think the changes on the line have really disrupted Brady’s rhythm and confidence because you could see him ducking even when he wasn’t under pressure and he almost always had Jets in his face…We need Mankins to get healthy and in the next draft I think priority should be on a bigtime guard and/or center and CB…Better line = better protection for Brady and better running lanes for the running game

A win is a win and I’ll take it but I wasn’t at all impressed with how we played and luckily there’s still time to get better but so far this team has been mediocre at best

Brady has trouble putting zip on the ball lately. He seems to have an injury that is festering. Jets played great but play calling at the end of the game denied them a chance to win. Sparano is the one at fault. Sanchez had a great game but so has almost every QB the Pats faced this year. BB needs new blood to coach the D.

Give credit to the Jets for damn near pulling this off. Not one of us Patriot’s fans thought they were capable of a game like this.

Tom Brady came through when it counted this time, but dude has been looking very Sanchez-ish this year, over throwing and underthrowing receivers, throwing more balls away, more INT’s than we’re used to seeing from him. C’mon Tom, this ain’t YOU!

That secondary seems to have forgotten that their first job is to COVER PEOPLE. When was the last time you’ve seen a secondary concistently have so many open receivers like this???

The defense sucks, yes, but they sucked last year too and got progressively better. Let’s see how this group plays in December before we panic.

The 2012 Patriots look like a very confused team on BOTH sides of the ball.

That said, the Pat’s are 4-3. 2-0 in the division. Take a look at the rest of the schedule and tell me who, other than the texans, really scares you? 13-3 is not totally out of the question yet, and that’s a damn good season right there.

Speaking of Houston, though they’re 6-1, I’m still not convinced they’re what everyone thinks they are. Check back in Week 13 to see if they truly have the staying power to remain the AFC Cream of the Crop. They were 10-6 last year, remember?

The 2012 NFL season has been as surprising a year for many teams as I can remember in a while …. making things very interesting.